Living in a communal environment to learn and practice life skills has made dealing with pandemic uncertainties a little easier for youth enrolled in our CIBC Rights of Passage (ROP) program.
Karen, who leads the ROP team, says the youth have been coping because of bonds created through shared experience, caring staff who encourage the pursuit of personal goals, like finishing high school, and modified programming that’s focused on self-care.
“The youth have come from a place of high anxiety to an understanding of the need for mutual safety, COVID education that includes discussions about its impact on mental health, in addition to the necessity of finding creative ways to socialize and carry out everyday tasks.”
Karen has seen a strong kinship develop within the program because of these efforts. “Motivating youth to keep focused on their goals has inspired them to motivate each other, producing positive outcomes.”